Michigan State University held a closed-door conference on antisemitism and Islamophobia on Jan. 30, weeks after antisemitic vandalism targeted MSU Chabad.
The biannual event, hosted by the public university’s Office of Inclusive Excellence and Impact, barred media and required advance registration because of what organizers described as the “sensitive nature” of the discussion. Students, faculty and staff were invited to attend.
Ralph Johnson, IEI assistant director of education and development programs, told State News, a student publication, that keeping the media out of the conference was meant to protect students.
“When someone shows up, and they’re brave enough to be vulnerable, we want to make sure there’s some safety in that,” he said.
Yael Aronoff, director of the Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel at MSU, added that a media presence “would completely alter the entire intention and atmosphere of this.”
Aronoff presented at the conference, focusing on “the history of antisemitism” and examining “antisemitic tropes and incidents in a modern context.”
State News reported that while past conferences have averaged 20 to 40 attendees, this year’s conference had about 12. (JNS sought comment from MSU.)
In December, an unidentified suspect smashed windows and spray-painted swastikas on MSU Chabad. No arrests have been announced. Separately, a video filmed in fall 2024 and circulated in April showed students burning a copy of the Quran. The video resurfaced after a Muslim student alleged a similar recent incident involving the same individuals.
Mohammad Khalil, director of MSU’s Muslim Studies Program, cited the Quran-burning incident as evidence of growing anti-Muslim sentiment on campus, telling State News that student complaints have motivated his continued involvement in addressing the issue.
“You hear about students feeling unsettled about things, and so that pushes me to feel obligated to do what I do,” Khalil stated.
